“Knock, knock.  You up yet, sleepy head?”  

Jonah opened his eyes to see his Uncle Billy holding a bed tray with a glass of juice, a cup of coffee, and a plate of eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits, with a side of mixed fruits over some sort of cake.

“Good morning,” Jonah said. 

“I brought you some breakfast, but do you need to go the bathroom first?” 

“Bathroom would be good, but, umm, it might be a little embarrassing at the moment.”

 Billy chuckled. “Not to worry.  Gotcha covered.” He set the tray down, walked out of the room and came back in a moment with a hospital gown. “Tom brought a few of these by. Just slip it on over your t-shirt and boxers. The gown is open in the back for a reason, but it also keeps the equipment covered from whoever’s helping ya’ on and off the toilet when ya’ drop the shorts,” he said smiling. “I figured you might be a little self-conscious if you have to do this when Reese is here, so I called Tom last night at the hospital and asked him to bring a couple of these over.” 

“Cool, thanks.”  Jonah slipped on the gown, and Billy helped him into the wheelchair and into the bathroom.  Just as Billy had said, the gown hid the equipment nicely, making Jonah feel much less self-conscious.  “Can we leave a couple of those hanging in here in case I forget?”   

“Sure thing. Now, let’s do your breakfast, and then I’ll help you bathe.” 

Billy helped Jonah get a sponge bath and wash his hair, helped him dress, and made sure he had his meds.  “Jonah, I need to go over our schedule with you.  I go into the club around three or four in the afternoons and generally don’t get home till after two in the morning.  Chip is off to his office every morning by seven and usually doesn’t get home till six or seven in the evening.  I’m usually not up this early, but I’ll adjust my schedule this next week or until you’re out of that wheelchair. We have a housekeeper who’s worked for our family for thirty years off and on.  She even changed my diapers when I was a baby.  Her name is Letha, but she only comes in three mornings a week these days.  She’s off today, but you’ll meet her on Monday.  Anyhow, there is a gap in the afternoon after I go down to the club.  Reese should get here before I leave, though.” 

“I’ll be fine. Y’all have done so much already. I feel like a king; y’all have been so nice.” 

“Jonah, we just want you to be happy here. I know it’s tough leaving your family and friends.” 

Jonah spent the rest of the day looking around the apartment, figuring how to operate some of the new toys, including the new keyboard, and setting up his computers. He discovered that Billy’s and Chip’s rooms were actually suites with their own sitting rooms.  They even had their own mini-kitchens.  Each suite opened onto a rooftop terrace, like the one off the dining room on the other end of the apartment.   

The main kitchen would make any restaurant chef jealous.  It had all-stainless-steel countertops and appliances.  He learned that Billy had designed it based on a kitchen at the culinary school he attended.  Tom was right: for an apartment, it was like a palace.   

Around three thirty, Jonah was watching an inane afternoon TV show in the living room. Billy was getting ready to leave when Reese showed up. Reese was absolutely gorgeous. He was wearing a polo-type white shirt, with a logo that Jonah assumed made it part of a school uniform, and khaki pants. The shirt and pants fit snugly enough that he could finally see some definition of Reese’s body, which was perfect, of course.  His chest was broad, and it tapered to a perfect waist.  Jonah sighed; he was really missing Sky and just assumed Reese was straight anyway. 

“Hi,” Reese said as he came into the room where Jonah was sitting. “What’s up?” 

“Bored enough to watch daytime TV,” Jonah sighed. 

“That’s pretty bored alright. Want to play video games or something?” 

“I’m really sorta tired. This is the first day I’ve been up all day. Yesterday zapped me pretty good, too.  I didn’t realize I was so weak.” 

“That’s cool. Wanna just watch more of this crap, or would ya like to talk?” 

“Talkin’s good,” Jonah said as he clicked off the TV remote. “What ya wanna talk about?” 

“I dunno. Whatever. You wanna tell me something ‘bout you, or you want me to start?” 

“You start. Billy and Chip probably told you all my dark secrets, anyhow,” Jonah said. 

“Actually, they didn’t tell me much at all, except that you were a nephew and you were coming to stay.” 

“Oh, okay. I still want to know more ‘bout who you are, though.  I know nothing except that you baby-sit for Tom some and work for Chip around the building.” 

“Yeah, I like to help Chip.  He’s been so good to me and Mom after Dad and Ron ...” 

“Something happen to your dad?” 

“He was a forester.  He worked for Chip managing some property they own in Mississippi and Alabama.  He and my brother Ron were driving down there a couple of years ago and were killed at a train crossing.” 

“Oh, man, I’m sorry.” 

“Nah, it’s okay.  I can talk about it now. Chip took care of everything. He helped us get the insurance money and a lawyer to sue the railroad.  The damn crossing wasn’t even marked, and the train never blew a horn.  They never knew what hit ‘em.  Anyhow, Chip helped us get an apartment here, and the lawsuit settlement is how I get to go to private school. Mom was really messed up for a long time, still is sorta; she couldn’t cope.  Billy fixed food for us every day or brought us something from his restaurant.  I don’t know how we would have made it without them.  What about you?  What’s your story?” 

“Well, uh, my mom, Chip’s and Billy’s sister, died over a year ago now.  Dad’s remarried.  He found out that I’m ... Uh, we had a big fight, and my stepmom didn’t want me around. I was in a really bad car wreck during all that, and I wound up coming here.” 

Reese’s eyebrows raised, his whole face looked like it twisted into a question mark. “I think I’m missing something here.  I mean, did the wreck have something to do with fight or was it the other way around?” 

“No, I mean yes, I mean … sorta. Damn.” 

Jonah was looking even more confused than Reese, and for some reason he was feeling angry and exasperated .  “I guess I can tell you. I mean, I don’t even know you, but I guess Chip’s payin’ ya’ to be here anyhow, so it’s not like your gonna just take a hike. I’m . . . I mean my Dad found out I’m gay.  I got caught in bed with my boyfriend, who’s also the son of Dad’s business partner in Mississippi.  My stepmom’s homophobic and was scared I was going to molest her perfect little asshole son or something, and my Dad, who’s retired military, ain’t exactly gay-friendly, either.  When I went back to school, my stepbrother had made sure that my secret was out.  I got into a fight the first day with this homophobe jock dude, and I kicked his ass.  He followed me and my friends from school and ran us off the road.  I woke up in the hospital with a broken leg, one of my friends was dead, and the other may be crippled for life. I haven’t heard a word from my boyfriend in over two weeks.  There, ya’ happy now?” 

“Whoa, dude, that’s … that’s some pretty intense shit.   I’m sorry.  I just. … I’m really sorry, man.  Forgive me.  Man, that’s somebody’s nightmare. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I’m so sorry.” 

“Stop apologizing already. You sound just like ...”  

“Just like who?” 

“Nobody.  It was nothin’,” Jonah said. Of course he was thinking about Sky, and this guy reminded him a lot of Sky.  “So, now that you know I’m a fag, I suppose you don’t wanna hang with me now.” 

“Why would you think that, man?  I think you’re a pretty cool dude.  I really don’t know ya’ yet, but if you’re anything like your Uncle Billy, you’re cool with me.” 

“You know about Billy?” 

“Heck, yeah, I even knew his boyfriend, Brad.”   

“Oh, I’m sorry, I just … I’m still new to being out.  I’m still surprised how many people don’t care or are cool with it.  You read so much about the anti-gay stuff, I guess it gets me paranoid.”  Jonah was really relieved. He was hoping Reese and he could be friends.  He felt as if he needed any friends he could get, since he didn’t know anybody in Memphis. 

“No, it’s cool man.  I remember when I came out to some of my friends; I was scared to death.” 

“WHAT!??? You…You’re….I mean….” 

“The word is gay, Jonah.  Why are you so shocked?” 

“So much for that gaydar theory.  I so totally thought you were straight.” 

“Why? Because I didn’t hit on you or check you out?  I’m not a perv, and besides, man, you’re in a wheelchair.  Anyway, you’ve had enough crap in your life to jam your gaydar for awhile, if there really is any such thing.  I sure as hell wouldn’t have known you were gay if you hadn’t told me.” 

“Your friends, were they okay with it?”   

“Mostly.  There were a couple that didn’t wanna deal with it.  I decided I didn’t need to deal with them.  Life’s too short to worry about them.” 

“Does your Mom know?” 

“Mom’s a different issue.  She knows, but swears it’s just a phase I’m going through, and thinks one day I’ll meet a nice girl who’ll make a man outta me,” he said using his fingers as quotation marks.  “She sent me to a shrink that told her I was a completely normal teenager who just happened to be gay.  She’s still convinced I’ll grow out of it.  That is, when she’s sober enough to think about anything.” 

“Sober?”  

“After my Dad and Ron got killed, she crawled into a bottle and only comes out of it for a month or two at a time; then she crawls right back in.  Chip has helped me get her in rehab a couple of times.  She’ll be okay for a while before something happens and she has a drink, and it starts all over.” 

“Oh, man, I’m so sorry. Now, I’m the one prying.” 

“No, now you’re the one who doesn’t need to apologize.  I wouldn’t have told you all that if I hadn’t wanted to.  Besides, you would find out eventually, anyway.  When she gets really bad, Chip and Billy let me crash up here.  They’re really cool about it.  Chip wanted to call social services one time, but Billy talked him out of it.  Billy convinced him that I was better off staying with them here a couple of nights than I would be in foster care or something.  Besides, they both really like my mom, and I think they feel sorry for her.  She’s sick. She’s an alcoholic.  I think they feel she’s not trying hard enough to beat it.  Sometimes I agree.”  

“Sounds like we both have issues, as Chip puts it,” Jonah said. 

“Yeah, ain’t being a gay teenager fun?” Reese chuckled. 

“Reese, is it tough being a gay kid at an all-boys school?” 

“Not really any tougher than being a gay kid at any high school.  I’m out, but I don’t go around flaunting being gay. I’m not a flamer, and I figure it’s nobody’s business unless I want them to know.” 

“Do you have any gay friends—or a boyfriend?” 

“Why?  You applying for the boyfriend position?” he laughed. 

“No, I was just wondering.” 

“I don’t have a boyfriend right now.  But I have a lot of gay friends.  I don’t go to school with all of them or even most of them.  Most of my gay friends I met at MAGY.” 

“Maggie?” 

“Memphis Area Gay Youth, M-A-G-Y.  It’s a support group and social club for gay, lesbian, and transgendered kids from thirteen to twenty and their friends.  There’s a meeting every Friday night.  I’m going tomorrow night.”  

“I thought you had a meeting last night.” 

“That was just a planning session for tomorrow.  I’m an officer.  When you’re feeling better, would you like to come?” 

“Are there a lot of kids there?” 

We have forty or fifty that show up regularly, but we’ve had over a hundred show up for special events.  They come from all over -- Mississippi, West Memphis, even as far as Tupelo and Little Rock.”

“You’re kiddin’!” 

“Serious as death, man.” 

“I’d love to go. I never even dreamed there was something like that.  That’s abso-freakin’ amazing.  I wish I could go tomorrow, but you’re right, I don’t feel up to it yet.  I’d like to be out of this damn wheelchair, too.”  

“You’re on.  Next Friday, then, if you’re outta the chair.  You’ll be my guest.” 

“Not a date though, okay?” Jonah stated emphatically. 

Reese chuckled, “No, Jonah, not a date.”

 Author’s note: 

Special thanks again to CJ and Colin!  Thanks to all my readers, and thanks for all the notes and comments of encouragement.  It makes it all worthwhile. 

Hugs, 

Rick